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The Greatest Movie Villains of All Time: 2000's
Special effects and CGI may have dominated the decade, but little could disguise the influence these characters had on-screen. Typecasts were shattered and legacies were established; it was a decade wher everyone rooted for the bad guy! As a part of the "Top Ten Greatest Villains of All Time" series, I'm listing some of the most iconic or skillfully portrayed villains of the 2000's. The villains that are included are based on their critical reception, powerful performance, and how much fan love they've received. For the record, no villains done with motion capture, animated villains, or non-human villains, so no Gollum or Prince Farquad. Number 5: Bill "the Butcher" Cutting (Gangs of New York, 2002) Nobody dominates a movie screen quite like Daniel Day-Lewis, and it shows here. Day-Lewis' passionate and overacts constantly on screen, and this is just one of many outstanding performances. Bill is the dreaded king of New York's slums, ruling his city with an iron fist. A "patriot" in his own terms, Bill's dramatic and over-the-top antics make him one of the most memorable of Martin Scorsese's characters. Bill's got little holding him back, and serves as an amazing foil to Leonardo DiCaprio's Amsterdam Vallen. Number 4: Voldemort (Harry Potter franchise, 2001-2011) If there was ever franchise that provided a sense of adventure, wonder, and magic to the children of the 2000's, it was easily the Harry Potter franchise. And one of the biggest reasons it was so was because of the all-powerful and evil antagonist of the series; Voldemort. A wizard immeasurable power- and an ego just as large- Voldemort was so feared and powerful that people didn't dare speak his name. Ralph Fiennes' acting and ability to completely disappear into the role allowed him to bring this book character straight to life. Number 3: Hans Landa (Inglorious Basterds, 2009) What can I say; Quentin Tarantino knows how to write a good villain. Sociopathic, vile, but ever practical, Col. Hans Landa shares only two things with his fellow Nazis; his urgency to get the job done and his deadly skill. It takes a certain level of charm, sophistication, and fury to portray such a dangerous foe. Christoph Waltz earned an Oscar for his performance, and he got it deservedly. His brutality makes him feared; his efficiency and his intelligence make him deadly- that is, his intelligence on everything except common American catchphrases. Number 2: Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men, 2007) Javier Bardem's got some serious acting ability; he also gave us one of the most intelligent Bond villains we've seen in awhile. While Raoul Silva gave James Bond a problem, this Oscar-winning performance gave the audience frights! One of the deadliest assassins captured on film, this stone-cold hitman was brought to life from Cormac's novel by the Coen brothers' masterful directing and a dedicated performance by Bardem. This chilling villain made something as simple as a coin flip as terrifying as a lobotomy. Honorable mentions *Commodus (Gladiator, 2000) *Magneto (X-Men franchise, 2000-2016) *Alonzo Harris (Training Day, 2001) *Hector Barbossa (Pirates of the Carribean, 2003-2017) *Owen Davian (Mission: Impossible III, 2006) Number 1: The Joker (The Dark Knight, 2008) Wanna see a magic trick? Watch the pretty boy actor from Brokeback Mountain and 10 Things I Hate About You blow away all expectations by delivering a decade-defining performance with his entirely unique interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime. Accolades, awards, and acclaim beyond counting; but all the Joker wants is a little bit of anarchy. The Dark Knight was a damn good movie on it's own, but Heath Ledger stole every single scene with his magnetic and maniacal performance.